Can dietary supplements help fight stress, improve mood and quality of life?

Stress is the plague of modern society. Stress is the state of tension caused by the fear of being unable to cope with a particular situation. People under pressure, often cycling through similar problems, cannot act effectively. Any person’s state of stress can cause many psychological and physical illnesses. Stress and frequent mood swings can affect the quality of life and become an obstruction to developing social relationships.

It is generally believed that megacity residents are more susceptible to stress than people who live in small towns and that they suffer more from serotonin deficiency and depression related disorders. According to Mazda Adli, a German psychiatrist and author of the book “Stress and the City,” people experience different kinds of stress that affect mental health in various ways. In the context of urban life, it is social stress that is problematic to be handled by an individual on his own. Overcrowdedness in megacities and social isolation lead to the emergence of social stress. A combination of these two factors can become toxic if an urban citizen cannot impact the environment and therefore feels insecure.

One can work with different factors to counteract stress and its effects —

proper sleep, nutrition or psychological practices. The attention of many scientists is riveted to the task of enriching nutrition to support the body under different conditions, including stress. Scientists are continuously searching for natural solutions to sustain the physiological level of a body. Many herbs can facilitate emotional balance; chamomile, lemongrass, wheatgrass and melissa are the best-known herbs. But scientists and technology have made progress, and lately, they have been concentrating on saffron, although it was long known in ancient Egypt for its calming and soothing properties. Today it has become possible to scientifically prove and substantiate the effects that contribute to emotional balance.

In 2017, the French company ACTIV’INSIDE introduced Safr’Inside™ to the ingredient market as a patented saffron extract, which helps fight against stressful human conditions and alleviates unpleasant physical symptoms of women during PMS and menopause. Numerous studies conducted with a group of people have proven its beneficial effects on the human body. The saffron extract acts similarly to the “happiness hormone” serotonin, slowing the breakdown of serotonin by 50%, increasing dopamine concentration, controlling cortisol secretion (levels of which are markers of stress levels), and maintaining regular heart rate in stressful situations. This product won the NutraIngredients-Asia Awards 2018 and NutraIngredients Europe Awards 2021. Safr’Inside™ has certificates of organic, halal, and kosher quality.

Safr’Inside™ is derived from the high-quality Iranian saffron variety Sargol, characterized by a high concentration of the active substances safromotivins (crocin, picrocrocin, and safranal, and their derivatives). It has been clinically proven that safromotivins have an additional effect on stress parameters. A proprietary Tech’care extraction™ process, carried out exclusively in France, is used to obtain the extract. This process combines gentle extraction using a mild alcoholic solvent and subsequent absorption using an impregnating (deeply absorbent) base. This protects the volatile saffron compounds from temperature fluctuations and solvent changes, preserving the concentration of safromotivin active ingredients and their unique natural profile. Safr’Inside™ provides the highest concentration of safromotivins (12%, including safranal 2%) as verified by high-performance liquid chromatography analysis.

Activ’Inside has conducted several in-house studies of the resulting extract. One study involved 56 healthy men and women, ages 18-54, experiencing non-pathological anxiety and depression. For eight weeks, participants took 15 mg of Safr’Inside™ extract twice daily. Regular intake showed that Safr’Inside™ extract improved bad mood and social relationships.

In another study with Safr’Inside™ extract conducted by Iranian scientists, 41 healthy women and men between the ages of 22 and 63 took 15 mg of Safr’Inside™ extract twice a day (30 mg/day total) for 30 days. A questionnaire was administered on days 15 and 30, and the results were evaluated. After 15 days of taking the extract, more than 3/4 of the participants felt happier and more optimistic, about 3/4 of the participants reported an improved emotional background, and more than 2/3 of the research subjects felt more relaxed and calm. Besides, after 30 days, more than 50 percent of the participants felt improved sleep quality.

The European Food Safety Authority approved the following adjectives for Safr’Inside™: it supports psycho-emotional balance and improves mood; reduces discomfort during menstruation and PMS; helps you get a better night’s sleep; helps relieve symptoms of menopause.

Saffron is one of the most expensive and healthy (полезный) spices in the world, which has a unique composition and is widely used in medicine. Nowadays, one can find many studies that demonstrate how multifaceted the pharmacological effects on the body are. Saffron is a plant used for centuries in many parts of the world as a food coloring and additive. It has been proven to have the ability to alleviate various disorders due to its known anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. Several studies have shown the effectiveness of saffron in treating various chronic diseases such as inflammatory bowel disease, Alzheimer’s disease, rheumatoid arthritis, and common malignancies of the colon, stomach, lung, breast, and skin. Modern medications tend to have undesirable side effects, which has led to a trend toward using natural products with therapeutic properties.

On the territory of former Soviet Union, you can find some dietary supplements that include the patented saffron extract Safr’Inside™ by ACTIV’INSIDE:

Saffron Extract in capsules by Swanson Health Products. It contains Safr’Inside™ certified organic saffron (Crocus sativus) extract. Each capsule contains a minimum of 2% safranal. Other Ingredients include organic brown rice flour, pullulan (vegetarian capsule), and maltodextrin. It is certified organic by the Minnesota Crop Improvement Association (MCIA), St. Paul, MN 55108.

Saffron capsules by Doctor Life are a dietary supplement that supports emotional balance and good sleep and improves metabolism. It consists of extract of flowers and pistils of crocus – saffron (Crocus sativus L); capsule shell (hydroxypropyl methylcellulose). One capsule contains: 500 mg of Saffron – flower and pistil extract, 30 mg of microencapsulated saffron Safr’Inside™.

PMS Rescue™ Vegan Capsules by Country Life. Ingredients: Magnesium (as magnesium citrate); Cramp Bark Powder (Viburnam Sp.) (Bark); Safr’Inside™ Saffron Extract (Crocus sativus L., Iridacae) (Stigma); Black Cohosh Extract (Cimicifuga racemosa L.) (root/rhizome). This product is manufactured in a Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) registered facility. The dietary supplement product is carefully formulated with ingredients that provide psychological and emotional support during PMS.

Safrino by Coral Club is a natural anti-stress complex based on branded saffron and inositol. Ingredients: Inositol (as Myo-inositol) 350 mg; Safr’Inside™ saffron stigma extract 30 mg; Zinc (as zinc oxide) 2.3 mg. It has a high safranal content (2%), which is ten times higher than in non-encapsulated saffron extracts. Coral Club Company has been well known in the Western and Eastern markets for over 20 years. Founded in 1998 by Leonid Lapp and Erik Megrabyan, the company quickly expanded its network. Its offices are presented in 35 countries, the network has 288 offline stores, and the production is established in 10 countries: the USA, Canada, Germany, Armenia, Norway, France, Japan, Taiwan, South Korea, and Russia.

Safrino combines the valuable properties of the patented extract of Iranian saffron and Myo-inositol. The product helps restore emotional balance in acute and chronic stress, including PMS and menopause, and improves mood and sleep.

Readers should remember that dietary supplements are not a cure for any disease. They can be used to prevent a problem and reduce its symptoms with a doctor’s recommendation, but they are no substitute for medical treatment of the disease.

References:

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